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Mobile SEM: Vital for Mobile Marketing and Your Online Success

Marketing your business is way more than just crafting a message and deciding how to split your budget; it's also about keeping up with trends and putting your money where you'll get the best returns.

The Internet is a dynamic realm, and online marketing is in constant flux, including search engine marketing, which has evolved over the years with more sophisticated search algorithms and targeted results.

If you haven't started search engine optimization (SEO) or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, it's not too late. If you have, then you need to complement it with mobile advertising. The key is to include mobile marketing as part of your overall Internet marketing strategy.

Consider the following example:

Does that sound familiar? We're all guilty of being reliant on our mobile devices, and it's something we can see all around us: Young and old alike have their eyes glued to their phones.

But what some companies haven't caught on to yet is that this new behavior can be a marketing opportunity for them.

What We All Know About Mobile SEM

Highly targeted: One of the key benefits of SEM is its targeted nature, which is even more applicable for mobile. Location services on smartphones allow advertisers to go about their advertising in an even more targeted manner.

For example, if I operate a restaurant in the central area of Singapore and run SEM ads, I have the technical ability to strategically target users within a two kilometer radius who search for "restaurants near me." Business owners can choose to target customers who are more likely to opt for locations in their vicinity. This approach can be a cost-effective method for advertisers who have a smaller budget but still want a presence online.

Lower cost: Compared with desktop cost per click, the CPC for the same keyword on mobile tends to be lower, according to the Search Agency. Furthermore, mobile and tablet click share has gone up 29% in Q1 of 2014 vs. Q1 of 2013. What this means is that you're paying less for each potential customer while securing your position in an expanding market. Of course, desktops still account for the majority of clicks, but ignoring the growing mobile trend would be detrimental to business growth.

Response: The mobile phone is inherently a personal device, and that translates to user behavior: 90% of mobile users take some action as a result of a Google search, according to Google. Those actions could be in the form of a purchase, a visit to the business, or a continuation of research. No other form of advertising can claim such a high response rate or as much consumer engagement.

Take the first step (it's free).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leonard Tan is the founder and CEO of PurpleClick, an award-winning online marketing agency specializing in search marketing. He is also featured in Red Herring Top 100 Asia, among the list of the world's best technology innovators.